1573 AD: Under Sultan Gazi Mohamed Thakurufaanu’s reign, the Maldives was officially called “Ad-Daulat al-Mahaldheebiyya” (State of Mahaldheeb).

Other ancient Names in collections of dictionaries Include Sasturavathi, from the Sanskrit Shashtra, meaning knowledge and Vathi denoting a keeper, possibly referring to priestesses or noblewomen, and Ahilanka (Ahi meaning endless or vast and Lanka meaning island, translating to Endless Island).

1500-500 BC: Vedic literature including the Mahābhārata and Purāṇas mention Maladvipa, (Mala meaning garland and Dvīpa meaning island) believed to be a reference to the island chain of Maldives. Archaeological evidence indicates that South Indian Dravidian Sailors expanded trade links in the region during this period.

483 BC: Buddhist Pāli texts Aṅguttara Nikāya and Khuddaka Pāṭha mention “2000 Parittadipa” (small islands). They are of the eleven Nikāyas (collections) in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon. It is believed to have been compiled shortly after the Buddha’s death in 483 BCE.

59-62 AD: Greco-Roman periplus, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea written in Koine Greek describing sea navigation and trading routes, refers to “Coral Islands” in the southern Indian Ocean: "...But the sea to the south of this region is difficult to navigate, with many shallow waters and coral reefs, and the islands are low-lying and scattered."

150 AD: Claudius Ptolemy’s Geographia (Book 7, Chapter 4) describes 1378 islands (Maldives currently records 1192 islands) named Manioli, located southwest of India near Sri lanka referred to as Taprobane (Sanskrit origin: Tambaṇṇī or Tamraparni). Ptolemy also mentions Calandrus or Calandadrum, believed by some historians to be Kinolhas in Baa Atoll.

420 AD: Bishop Palladius of Helenopolis references “Islands beyond India” in Historia Lausiaca.

5th century AD: Linguist Wilhelm Geiger identifies the Maldives as Mahiladipika (Island of Women) in the Mahavamsa, derived from the Pali words Mahila (woman) and Deepika (islands), reflecting a matriarchal order.

7th century AD: Pallava dynasty documents refer to the Maldives as Dweepa Lakshman (Hundred Thousand Isles), highlighting extensive trade and military presence in southern India.

7th century AD: Chinese Buddhist scholar Xuanzang mentions “islands beyond the southern coast of India,” known for coconut palms and Buddhism.

658 AD: Tang Dynasty records refer to the “Mo-lai people,” with King Baladitiya sending gifts to Emperor Gaozong. Maldivian folklore mentions an exiled Kalinga prince, Sri Balāditya, who married a Maldivian queen.

10th century AD: Chola dynasty inscriptions refer to the Maldives as Munnir Palantivu Pannirayiram (Twelve Thousand Islands and the Ocean Where Three Waters Meet), referring to the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal. Kings Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I is believed to have expanded their empire into the Maldives between 1014-44 CE.

1225 AD: Chinese customs inspector and geographer Zhao Rugua (1170–1228 CE), of the Song Dynastry perido in his work Zhu Fan Zhi (Description of Barbarian Nations or Records of Foreign Peoples) called Maldives Liu Shan (Island Country) or Liu Shan Guo (Country of the Flowing Mountains).“The country of Liu Shan is in the middle of the sea. It consists of many small islands, which are low-lying and surrounded by coral reefs. The people are skilled in navigation and trade. They produce cowrie shells, which are used as money in many countries. They also have coconuts, fish, and other marine products. The climate is hot, and the land is fertile, producing abundant crops."

9th-12th centuries AD: Arabic historians Al-Masudi, Sulaiman al-Tajir, Al-Biruni, and Al-Idrisi call the Maldives Dheebat al Mahal (Islands of Women) or Dheebajat. Abu Zayd al-Hasan al-Sirafi, a 9th-century Iraqi merchant and writer, refers to the Maldives as Diva Kauza (Islands of Shells). Maldives was introduced to Islam by Abul Barakat Yusuf al Barbari (Mororccan) or Sheikh Yusuf al-Tabrizi (Persian) in 1153 CE, the later being less widely accepted. The following is an excerpt from Muruj al-Dhahab by Al-Masudi. 

"The islands of Dibajat are numerous and lie in the Indian Ocean, near the coast of India. They are known for their production of cowrie shells, which are used as money in many countries. The people of these islands are skilled in navigation and trade, and they export coconuts, ambergris, and other marine products. The islands are low-lying and surrounded by coral reefs, and the climate is hot and humid."

13th century AD: Tholkāppiyam mentions the Maldives as “Pāpalam Theevu” (Pāpalam meaning cowries shells and Theevu meaning island in Tamil). Tholkāppiyam is the oldest extant work in Tamil literature.

1300 AD: Although Marco Polo did not visit the Maldives himself, he refers to the Island of Male."When you leave the Island of Seilan (Ceylon) and sail westward about 60 miles, you come to the Island of Male, which is a separate kingdom. The people are idolaters, and have a king and a language of their own. They live on rice, flesh, and fish. They have no vines, but make a drink of rice and spices. They have an abundance of ambergris, which they get from the sea, and they have also a great quantity of cowries, which are used as money in many parts of the world."

1343-46 AD: Ibn Battuta refers to the Maldives as Deebath Al Mahal.

1414 AD: Chinese admiral Zheng He’s scribe, Ma Huan, calls the Maldives Liu Shan Tieh Kan (Islands of Peaks), while Fei Xin, who also accompanied the commander names it Liu Shen Yeng. This roughly translates into “Divine or Mysterious islands in the vast ocean or across the sea. Zheng led seven major naval expedition between 1405-33 across the Indian Ocean.

16th century AD: Portuguese explorers name the Maldives Ilha Dywe. They arrived in 1507, established a garrison in Malé in 1558, and were expelled in 1573 by Sultan Gazi Mohamed Thakurufaanu. Maldives’ National Day is still marked in the Sultan’s honour.